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Oh great. "Master" is now "main". Let's check the etymology of "main": --- Old English mægen (Mercian megen) "power, bodily strength; force, violent effort;
by outworlder 6y ago
Oh great. "Master" is now "main".
Let's check the etymology of "main":
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Old English mægen (Mercian megen) "power, bodily strength; force, violent effort; strength of mind or will; efficacy; supernatural power," from Proto-Germanic maginam "power" (source also of Old High German megin "strength, power, ability"), suffixed form of PIE root magh- "to be able, have power."
Original sense of "power" is preserved in phrase might and main. Also used in Middle English for "royal power or authority" (c. 1400), "military strength" (c. 1300), "application of force" (c. 1300). Meaning "chief or main part" (c. 1600) now is archaic or obsolete. Meaning "principal duct, pipe, or channel in a utility system" is first recorded 1727 in main drain.
https://www.etymonline.com/word/main https://www.etymonline.com/word/main
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Maybe it's an improvement. But not a big one (oh wait, 'big' is also 'power').
- danfritz 6y agoIn 2 years we all frown on main and think how stupid it was and we change it to default /sarcasm?
- kortex 6y agoI don't think main is as fraught, see the AAVE/historic dialect pronunciation of master "massa" and the baggage therein. Master much more clearly implies the antonyms "slave" "servant" "underling". to me, "main" doesn't have one single strong antonym, it's more contextual, but could be side, alternate, aux, etc.